powell



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. POWELL.

E LEG'TRIC SWITCH.

Patented Oct. 13, 1896 a a W 5 (No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

W. POWELL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. No. 569,300. PatentedOot. 13, 1896;

- UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

IVILLIAM H. POWELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERKINSELECTRIC SWITCH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECEFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,300, dated October13, 1896. Application filed February 8, 1896. Serial No. 578,514. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. POWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of electric switches that are moreparticularly provided for cutting oif current from and directing currentto electric-heater circuits such as are used in electric-railway cars;and the object is to produce a simple and cheap switch which can be soconstructed and connected with the heater-circuit wires that successivemovements of the handle will direct current through different heatersand combinations of lieaters vhereby anumber of diferent degrees of heatcan readily be obtain ed by operating the single switch. Y

The invention resides in a switch having a base with a plural number ofpairs of sta tionary contacts and a plural number of insulated postslocated and arranged to travel a portion of a revolution around the axisof the switch each time the handle is moved and connect differentcombinations of the pairs of stationary contacts at the differentsuccessive positions that they occupy during a revolution, and thusclosing different circuits and directing the current through differentheaters or cutting off the heat entirely.

The invention is practicable for circuits provided for other purposesthan heating, as for turning in different numbers of lamps in a lightingsystem; but it is particularly adapted for directing currents ofconsiderable quantity and pressure, and is thus especially applicableand valuable for heater-circuits such as are used in railway-cars, andtherefore the embodiment herein is illustrated and described withspecial reference to car heatercircuits.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of the switch with thecover and handle removed. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of theswitch. Fig. 3 is a plan of the base with the commutator-block and oneset of the stationary contacts removed. Fig. 4 is a plan of thecommutator-block. Fig. 5 is a view of the under side of the base. Fig. 0is a diagram illustrating the position of the connecting-posts when thecommutator is in the first position and connecting the circuits so as togive one degree of heat. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the positionof the connecting-posts when the commutator is in the second positionandgiving an additional degree of heat. Fig. Sis a diagram illustrating theposition of the connecting-posts with the commutator in the thirdposition and so connecting the circuits as to give a still greaterdegree of heat. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the position of theconnecting-posts when the commutator is in the fourth or off position,as when all the circuits are open.

In the views, 1 indicates the base, which may be made of any desiredsize and shape of suitable insulating material, as wood or porcelain.Supported centrally of this base is a rotary l1andlespindle 2, which hasa thread for a portion of its length, and upon the threaded part bears athreaded nut 3. Upon the spindle and with one end attached thereto is aspring 4, the other end of the spring being connected with the nut 3.The base beneath the nut is provided with a plate 5, that is held inplace by any suitable means and that has its upper face cut in the formof segmental inclined planes, so as to form ratchet-teeth, and withindentations between them. The spring pressing between the spindle andthe nut tends to rotate the nut in such manner that the nut travels downthe thread and is made to engage the teeth of the plate 5 until thespindle is rotated so that the threads raise the nut out of the teeth ofthe plate 5 and allow the nut to move forward under the impulse of thespring until it has again run down the thread sufficiently to engage thenext teeth. Supported by the nut so as to rotate with it is a block 6 ofinsulating material. XV hen the handle is turned,

the spring is made tense until the nut has been raised by the threadssufficiently to clear the tooth which holds it, and then the nut, underthe influence of the spring, with the block, is suddenly thrown around agiven distance.

The construction and operation of the above-mentioned parts are fullyshown and described in United States Lctters'Paten t No. 5l7,10l), datedMarch 27, 189i.

On the base of the switch are any desired number of stationary contacts7, and corresponding with these contacts are other stationary contacts8, the latter being preferably made in the form of brushes that projectabove the first-mentioned contacts. In the form shown there are three ofthe lower stationary contacts 7,all of which are pro vided withbinding-posts for the attachment of the circuit-wires, and there arethree brushes which are connected together by conducting wires or plates9 on the under side of the base. It the binding-posts are connected withthe lower contacts, as in this form of switch, the brushes should beconnected together, but if the binding-posts are eonnected with thebrushes the lower contacts should be metallically connected with eachother.

Loosely held by the revoluble insulating commutator-block (5 areconducting connecting-posts 10. These posts extend through the blockfrom top to bottom and are located and arranged so as to electricallyconnect the dil'terent pairs of brushes and contacts in differentcombinations as the block re- Yolved. In the form shown there are threeof the connecting-posts held by the block, and these are arranged sothat when in one position they connect one combination of two pairs ofbrushes and contacts, at another position they connect a stilldill'ferent pair of brushes and contacts, and at the other position theyconnect all three of the pairs of brushes and contacts, thesedil'l'erent positions resulting from the successive movements of theposts as the commutator-block is intermittently revolved by the turningof the handle.

To one of the binding-posts is secured the wire T, that may lead fromthe trolley, if the switch used in a car heater system, or may lead fromany other source of electrical supply, and the other binding-posts haveattached to them the ends of the wires h 7r, thatlcad to the heaters 11II and then to the ground 9. In each of the circuits 7L it there may beany desired number of heaters, and the heaters of the different circuitsare preferably of different capacity. In the views a single heater llshown connected with the wire 71., and a single heater ll of a largersize is shown connected with the wire 71 but oi. course this mayrepresent combiuatitnis o'l. heaters rather than single heaters.

\Vhen the handle of the switch is turned so as to revolve the insulatedconnectingposts to the first position, these posts stand as shown by thedotted circles in Fig. 0, connecting the pairs of contacts and brushes aand 0 only, one of the posts beingidle. Then the current coming from thetrolley-wire or other source of supply passes through the binding-post,contact, connecting-post, and

brush at a and through the brush-connect ing plate 9 on the under sideof the base to the brush, connecting-post, and contact at c and outthrough the wire 71. to the heater II and the ground. The contact andbrush at Z) being d is connected, no current can pass at this time tothe heater It. When the handle is turned to revolve the insulatedconnecting-posts to the next position, (that shown .in Fig. 7,) thecontacts and brushes at a and Z) are connected by the connecting posts,the contact and brush at 0 being disconnected, and then the currentpasses from the wire T through the contact, conneetingpost, and brush ata into the plate J and out through the brush, connecting-post, andcontact at l) to the wire 7t", heater H, and ground-wire g. As the brushand contact at c are not connected, no current can pass when the postsare in this position to the heater II. This heater ll being larger thanthe heater It a great-er degree of heat can be obtained when the switchis turned to this position than when it was in the first position abovedescribed. hen the handle is turned to the next position, the brushesand contacts at a, l), and c are all joined by the connectingposts, asindicated in Fig. 8. In thisposition the current entering at a can passthrough the plate 9 and out at both Z) and c, for both the brushes andcontacts at those points are connected by the posts, so that both or allof the heaters H II are in use, they then being in parallel. This, ofcourse, gives a still greater degree ol heatthan when the larger heaterwas used alone. When the handle is turned to the fourth position, asindicated in Fig. 9, the contact and brush at at are disconnected, sothat no current will pass through the switch.

Upon the top of the blocl; that bears the connecting-posts itispreferred to locate hubs 11, upon which may be placed the designations1, 2, 23, and Off, as shown in Fig. 1, and in the cover 12 there lelft asmall opening through which the proper designation indicating theposition ol the switch will show. If desired, however, the indicationscan be put upon a card and the card supported by the handle-spimlle, sothat the proper indication would show through the opening in the coverin a similar manner.

The switch is simple, cheap, and efficient. It has a very quick openingand closing movement and a large number of places of disruption of thecurrent for a singlc-pole switch. At the movement from the lirst andsecond positions to the succeeding positions there are four dil'iercntplaces of break, one at each end of both of the coxmeeting-posts, so asto divide up and prevent any possible arc,while at the movement from thethird position to off, at which time the greatest amount of current willbe passing through the switch, there are six places of break. Thispermits the switch to be used without danger for currents such as are incommon use for operating railway systems, and with this safeconstruction different degrees of heat may be ob tained by simplyturning the handle of the switch so as to throw in the differentheaters.

I claim as my invention- 1. A single-pole switch having a base with aplural number of pairs of contacts which are unequally spaced about theaxis of the base,- a handle spindle held by the base and adapted to begiven an intermittent rotation, and a plural number of insulatedconductingposts connected with and moved by the spindle and adapted toconnect the pairs of contacts, said posts being equal in number to thepairs of contacts and also unequally spaced about the axis of thespindle so that different combinations of pairs of contacts are joinedby the successive movements of the posts during the rotation of thehandle-spindle, substantially as specified.

2. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number of pairs ofcontacts, one of each of the pairs of contacts being adapted to beconnected with the circuit-wires and the other of each of the pairs ofcontacts being electrically connected together, a handlespindle held bythe base and adapted to be given an intermittent rotation, and a pluralnumber of insulated conductingposts connected with and moved by thespindle and adapted to connect the pairs of contacts, said posts beinglocated so that different combinations of pairs of contacts are joinedby the successive movements of the posts during the rotation of thehandle, substantially as specifiedn 3. A single-pole switch having abase with a plural number of pairs of contacts, a handle-spindle held bythe base and adapted to be given an intermittent rotation, and a pluralnumber of insulated conducting-posts connected with and moved by thespindle and adapted to connect the pairs of contacts, said posts beingunequally placed about the axis of the spindle so that differentcombinations of sets of contacts are joined by the successive movementsof the posts during the rotation of the handle, substantially asspecified.

4s. A singlepole switch having a base with a plural number of pairs ofcontacts, one of each of the pairs of contacts being adapted to beconnected with the circuit-wires and the other of each of the pairsbeing electrically connected together, a rotary handlespindle held bythe base and adapted to be given an intermittent rotation, and a pluralnumber of insulated conducting-posts con nected with and moved by thespindle and adapted to connect the pairs of contacts, said posts beingunequally placed about the axis of the spindle so that differentcombinations of pairs of contacts are joined by the successive movementsof the posts during the rotation of the spindle, substantially asspecified.

5. A single-polo switch having a base with a plural number of pairs ofcontacts, a handle-spindle held by the base and adapted to be given anintermittent rotation, the number of movements of the handle during onerevolution being greater than the number of pairs of contacts, and aplural number of insulated conducting-posts unequally spaced about theaxis of the spindle with which they are connected so as to be moved bythe spindle and adapted to join the pairs of contacts, said posts havinga greater number of movements during one rotation of the handle thanthere are pairs of contacts so as to join difierent combinations ofpairs of contacts at the successive movements of the spindle,substantially as specified.

6. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number of pairs ofcontacts, a handle-spindle held by the base and adapted to be given anintermittent rotation, a plural number of insulated conducting-postsconnected with and moved by the spindle and adapted to join the pairs ofcontacts, said posts being equal in number to the pairs of contacts butbeing unequally spaced about the axis of the spindle so as to joindifferent combinations of pairs of contacts at the successive movementsof the spindle, substantially as specified.

7. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number of lowerstationary contacts and a corresponding number of upper stationarycontacts, a rotary handle-spindle held by the base, and aninsulating-block connected with and moved by the spindle, said blockbearing a plural number of conducting-posts adapted to connect the upperand lower stationary contacts, which posts are unequally spaced aboutthe block so that different combinations of upper and lower contacts arejoined by the successive movements of the posts during the rotation ofthe block, sub stantially as specified.

8. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number of lowerstationary contacts and a corresponding number of upper stationarycontacts, one set of contacts bearing binding-posts for the attachmentof the circuitwires and the other set being electrically connected, ahandle-spindle held by the base and being adapted to be given anintermittent rotation, and an insulating-block connected with and movedby the handle-spindle, said block bearing a plural number ofconductingposts arranged to connect different combinations of pairs ofupper and lower stationary contacts as the block is intermittentlymoved, substantially as specified.

9. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number of lowerstationary contacts and a corresponding number of upper stationarycontacts, one set of contacts bearing binding-posts for the attachmentof the circuit-wires and the other set being electrically connectedtogether, a handle-spindle held by the base and adapted to be given anintermittent rotation, and an insulating-block connected with andadapted to be moved by the spindle, the block having a greater number ofmovements during one revolution around the spindle than there are setsof upper and lower contacts, said block bearing connect ing-posts equalin number to the number of sets of contacts, substantially as specified.

11.0. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number of lowerstationary contacts connected with binding-posts for the attachment ofcircuit-Wires and a corresponding number of condueting-brushes that areelectrically connected together, a handle-spindle held by the base andadapted to be given an intermitten t rotation, and an insulating-blockconnected with and moved by the spindle, said block bearingconducting-posts equal in number to the brushes and arranged to joindifferent combinations of brushes and contacts as the block isintermittently moved, substantially as specified.

11. A single-pole switch having a base with a plural number ofstationary contacts conneeted with binding-posts for the attachment ofcircuit-Wires and a corresponding number of eondnoting-brushes that areelectrically connected together, a handle-spindle held by the base andadapted to be given an intermittent rotation, an insulating-blockconnected with and moved by the spindle, said block bearing eondueting-posts equal in nu mber to the brushes and arranged to join differentcombinations of the contacts and brushes as the block is intermittentlymoved, the block also bearing hubs with lettered in dications to denotethe position of the couneeting-posts, substantially as speeilied.

l2. Asingle-pole switehhaving an insulated circular base with threestationary contacts on its upper face connected with bindingposts forthe attachment of the circuit-wires and three eondnoting-brushes thatare electrically connected on the bottom of the base, a hai'idle-spindlehaving a rotation divided into four periods, an iusulating-block looselyconnected with the spindle and adapted to have a four-periodintermittent rotation around the axis of the spindle, said block bearingthree conducting-posts arranged about the block so as to join lirst,diznnetrically opposite contacts and brushes, next contiguous contactsand brushes, next three pairs oi contacts and brushes, and finally theother contiguous pairs of contacts and brushes, as the handle is given arevolution, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM H. .lOlilELlJ. \Vit1 losses:

II. R. WILLIAM, E. J. Hrnn.

